In the Looking Glass
by Skyskater
Summary: There is a new girl in Konoha. Sasuke Uchiha has immediately fallen in love with her. Can Sakura win his love back, or will she die trying?
1. Sakura's POV

1I can't seem to understand what's going on. There is a new girl in Konoha. Sasuke has fallen in love with her at first sight. She has light blue hair, wears a gray dress, and has golden eyes and pale skin. Her name is Lani. I still love Sasuke so much, I can't bear it if he loves another person. I feel as though my heart is breaking in two pieces, and I'm falling in the gap right through the middle. I feel very unloved. I mean, Rock Lee and Naruto USED to like me, but that brings me no consolation now. Rock Lee is trying desperately to win Gai's approval and Tenten's love, and Naruto is dating Hinata.

Oh my dearest Sasuke! I am scared these days. I cannot say I know who to trust or why to trust them. I can't even trust you these days...and I want to trust you so desperately, but I can't. You had said you would love me forever a long time ago, but now you have broken that promise that has bound me to you. Now I am cut off. I feel only pain, nothing more. Not even Naruto with all his lame jokes can make me smile anymore. I used to think you would keep your promises, being an Uchiha and all, but I can see now that I was wrong. I don't mean to be this way, but you have hurt me so badly, I cannot help it. That is why I look like this these days.

My pink hair is all stringy and uncombed. My emerald eyes are dull and red, from nights of endless crying. I have grown thinner these days, so thin I cannot even wear my red dress anymore. The shuriken holster just slips off my leg when I try to put it on. I do not wear the Leaf headband anymore, just a black piece of cloth to hold my hair back. I do not even know what the word laughter means anymore. My eyebrows are usually furrowed in a look of pain and anxiety and not happiness like they used to be. I am a loner now, not a social butterfly like I used to be. I am like you Sasuke, like you were before, which is the exact opposite of what I want to be.

I can't stand you and Lani being together. It just pains me. I do not want any help from other Konohans right now, especially you. I am not saying that I hate you, Sasuke, in fact, it's the very opposite. But you can't seem to realize that. People say that the Uchiha clan was nicknamed the Genius Clan. Well...right now, I don't think you're such a genius. You were my idol when we were Genin. You still are now. But if I can't make you realize that I truly love you like nobody else, then what else can I do? I'd rather die than be alive and watch you and Lani kiss each other and caress each other so caringly. And you seem to forget that ever since the great tragedy when my mother died that I started to live with you. You don't even look at me anymore when I greet you when you get home. You don't talk to me anymore, and when you do, it's in a cold voice, like I'm interrupting your thoughts about Lani.

I can't say that I like you anymore, but I still love you. Loving you is the only joy I get out of this cold, cruel world. But if you love Lani, I wouldn't want to spoil your fun. And besides, before you made the broken promise, you always said I was annoying all the time. Am I still that way now? I've changed a lot Sasuke. We all know that. Even Kakashi can tell. You may have said that Naruto was an oblivious fool back when we were fighting Orochimaru and the team from Sound during the Chuunin exams, but that isn't true anymore. These days, it's you who's the oblivious fool.

Most of the people in Konoha are very concerned about me, all except you and Lani. Even Ino Yamanaka, my rival forever, has come to see me and tried to cheer me up. And Kakashi-sensei has even shown up on time these days, or earlier, to try to cheer me up. Do you know why this is happening to me, Sasuke Uchiha? This is happening to me because of you. I love you, but now...I don't know what to say.


	2. Sasuke's POV

1

Sakura has been acting very strange lately. I don't know why. But anyway, there is this new girl in Konoha. Her name is Lani Uchiyama. She is super cute and adorable. She has a special blood trait, or Kekkai Genkai skill, just like me. It is Dojutsu also(sp?). Her eyes change to the color of the mood she is in. Sometimes it is red when it is angry, sometimes blue when calm. But it is normally black for indifference. The different colors have their own special powers also. It's creepy sometimes. She can vanish like the wind, turn into a boy, and do lots of other cool stuff. She is not timid or shy, like most of the girls here in Konoha. She is just the type of girl I like and admire and adore.

Unfortunately, my house isn't big enough for her to stay here. And besides, I can stay at her house, though that isn't really proper etiquette. It doesn't matter. I am an Uchiha. I am not ashamed of myself for breaking one tiny rule. But back to the thing about Sakura. I can't really dwell on Lani much because then my heart will be aching with lust to go and see her.

Sakura doesn't look as good as she used to before she turned 13. She never combs her hair anymore, and looks tired a good deal of the time. Her eyes are red from many nights of crying, I guess. But her mom did pass away a week ago, so I'm sure it's because of that. I can't be certain, however. She is always alert and touchy, and usually has a look of sadness around her face. She does not dress the same way she used to, she is too thin for her other dresses. She shows up for all the missions and sparring, but instead of being so competitive about me when Ino shows up and hugs me from behind, she just lets it pass with a sigh. Everyone is worried about her, maybe even me for a little bit. But not as much as other people. They worry too much about her. I don't really care, since I also have Lani to worry about.

I can't say that I am exactly terribly concerned about Sakura's need of joy. I mean, everyone has to have pain in life, otherwise there would be no joy. Like when my aniki killed my whole family except for me. She has to experience pain, it will toughen her up. But she never had a reason to live before except for me, and she has no reason now that I am already taken in love's caring arms. I have two reasons to live. One there's Lani to love. Two I still have to get revenge on Itachi for killing our whole family and making me have to resurrect the whole clan on my own.

I am jealous of Naruto. I had to wait a whole year for the perfect girl to show up, while he has a girl who loves him dearly right under his nose and he doesn't even realize it! But I have a better girl, at least in my opinion. I could not say that I could love Hinata Hyuuga if my life depended on it. But Lani...she's different. She doesn't care whether she chips a nail or not. She isn't a girl girl. She isn't the type to be found chatting endlessly on the phone or shopping in the mall for forever. And she definitely never wears makeup. I have never seen her lips red like cherries, or her eyelashes thick and black, although that would make a good addition to her fine character and body. I love her more than I ever could love anyone else. I promised her that I would love her forever, and that's a fact. Come to think of it, I made a promise to Sakura long ago, but I can't remember what it is. She probably does, though. And whenever an Uchiha makes a promise, it won't be broken unless the Uchiha dies.

Back before the mass killing of my clan, I was so happy. I never had any regrets, and Itachi would always be kind and not spiteful to me. Now his eyes are full of hatred for me, and are burning holes in my heart whenever I see him. My eyes used to be filled with gladness, and not the hatred of a loner.

But the loner days are over. I still remember them, so clearly and painfully. They hurt me in the middle of the night when I am most vulnerable to the bad days of Geninhood. My heart aches so hard, I have the urge to go and see Kakashi, Sakura, or even Naruto, the idiot. But I just can't stand up and walk out the door. They won't always be out there for me, I know that. But Lani won't be there forever either, though right now it sure feels like it. I can't remember when the last time was that I had broken a promise, can't remember anything important now that Lani's with me. But there's something nagging in the corner of my mind, telling me I have broken a promise recently. And whenever I see Sakura Haruno, a tinge of guilt appears in my head.

I miss the days when Sakura used to be so jealous of Ino and the other girls because they liked me also. I miss the days when there was always a smile hovering around her mouth and her emerald eyes were shining green. I miss the days when she used to slap Naruto because he was either teasing me or something of the sort. I miss the days when she used to overreact because Kakashi-sensei was late for a mission. I miss the days when we used to be Genin and we never went through the Chuunin exam.


	3. The World of Souls

1

Sakura was walking along the river, thinking sad thoughts. Tsunade-sama had already been looking into her, feeling she was an exact prodigy for a medical ninja. The fifth Hokage had already taught her some simple jutsus required to become a medic. She had taught the teenager how to go into another person's body, or go out of her own. Now, Sakura would use that to escape the sad thoughts of her own mind.

She gazed at the rising sun, and knew that she had to do it if she ever wanted to feel pleasure again. Without looking, she made some very complicated hand seals, and closed her emerald eyes. Then her mind was emptied and she didn't remember. She went farther and farther into the realms of paradise, not wanting to interrupt the smooth flow of chakra connecting her mind to her body. As she went farther and farther, she could feel the chakra weakening, and she knew that she should get back. But she didn't. If she went back, then she would not have enough energy to once again escape the memories that had tormented her all these days. She really didn't want that. Her soul floated just beyond the point of no return. She could hear the cries of the poor Jounin and Chuunin calling to her to pull them out. She savored the feeling of pure bliss, never having to worry about anything, never having to see to anything other than herself.

Naruto and Kakashi were worried. It was 5 hours past the appointed training time, and Sakura still hadn't shown up. Sasuke had left to go and be with Lani, but who could blame him? After all, there was nothing to do except spar, and since Sasuke beat Naruto every time, there really wasn't much of a challenge. Kakashi had gone through all 3 volumes of Icha Icha Paradise, and was still craving more. Naruto was really worried about Sakura. He was so worried he'd even volunteered to go and look for her. But Kakashi was firm and put his foot down. He was looking for the medic nin in training right now. Naruto turned his back to the route Kakashi had taken and gazed at a sakura tree not far away. Its petals were turning the hue of Sakura's hair, and looked very pretty indeed floating down to the ground. He sighed. Hinata would be worrying about him and why training and took him away from herfor so long. He walked to the sakura tree, feeling wave after wave of terror pass over him. There was something wrong with Sakura. He just knew it. He touched the smooth bark of the cherry tree, felt the soft petals falling over his head. There was nothing more. There was just him. He closed his cerulean eyes, wishing for peace to enter his body, wishing the flow of chakrato come freely. He put one foot upon the bark of the tree and climbed up until he was at the highest point of the tall cherry blossom. From there he could make outone misshapen figure coming to the training ground. It was backed up by the golden sunset andits shadow was definitely eerie.Then there was a shout calling his name. It was Kakashi. He turned around and spotted his sensei carrying something in his strong arms. It was Sakura.

He rushed forward, afraid of what injuries the girl might have sustained. When he got close enough to see her, he sighed in relief. She was merely unconscious, that was all. There were no wounds or anything. But the look on Kakashi's face meant that it was something very serious indeed.

"What's wrong, Kakashi-sensei?" he asked timidly.

"Do you see her hands?"

"Yes."

"Do you know what hand seal they are making?"

"No."

"Tiger."

"Ok...Why is she unconscious?"

"She's not. She's in the point between waking and sleeping."

"Why is she like that?"

"She has escaped her own body and is wandering about in the soul world right now."

"How do we bring her back?"

"We can't."

"Then how will she wake up again?"

"There is a reason she wanted to escape from this world. I don't know what. It is most likely Sasuke and Lani that made her want to leave. Now only Sasuke can bring her back." For once Kakashi actually looked serious. He didn't look serious when the Demon Brothers' poison had entered Naruto's body. Then again, he was concerned when Sasuke got "killed" by Haku. But that was different. This was most likely another life-death situation, probably the worst he had ever seen. Kakashi's contour glowed in the sunset, his gray hair slowly turning purple and red with the changing colors.

"How?"

"He must love Sakura once more without breaking up with Lani."

"Or what if he doesn't?"

"Then Sakura will die."


	4. Things Have Changed

1Sakura. The name comes as easily as a leaf flying in the wind. Haruno. The surname comes to my mind as easily as a camera can take pictures. What can I say? I am Rock Lee, Konoha's Handsome Blue Beast. And Sakura Haruno is just the one for me, I know it.

I've given up on Tenten long ago. She never showed much interest in me anyways. Hyuuga Neji was always the one she was after, never me. He's got the looks, the smile, the natural charm, the fighting skills, the Kekkai Genkai bloodline, he's got everything I don't have. What else is there to say? I am Rock Lee. My teammates are Tenten, the most formidable markswoman in Konoha, and Hyuuga Neji, who carries on the next generation of the Hyuuga clan. My mentor is Maito Gai, a formidable taijutsu master. He is exceptionally skilled in martial arts and is very fast. I am Rock Lee, Konoha's Handsome Blue Beast, and I know that Haruno Sakura is the girl for me. Not Yamanaka Ino, definitely not Sabaku no Temari, definitely not Tayuya from the Sound Five, Kin Tsuchi nearly killed me, so no, and not Hyuuga Hinata. That's Naruto's girl.

Sakura is...not quite the same as I remember. She used to be so happy, the type of girl that could skip in the sun and pick flowers all day long. But now...she's so different. Her hair is all tangled and matted, like she doesn't brush it anymore like she used to. Her dress is limp and not starched. She is thinner and unhappier. She stares after Sasuke and the new girl, Uchiyama Lani, longingly and wistfully, wishing she was with them, but knowing it could never be true. She doesn't yell at Kakashi for being late anymore, I know because I've watched from the trees. She doesn't hit Naruto because he teased Sasuke. She doesn't say "Tcha" or "It's the Love of a Lifetime" anymore. She isn't so protective of Sasuke anymore, not really caring what he does or what he says to her, not even if it's an insult like "You're annoying."

Does it really matter what Sasuke says or does to me? All that matters is that Sakura remains safe. I really don't know why I'm so protective of her all of a sudden...I just am. I probably always will be. Sakura is free and available right now, and I need to snag the opportunity while I still can. For once, I thank Lani and Sasuke for being a couple, because otherwise Sakura would never be mine. Wouldn't want that. But the Lotus of Konoha blooms twice, right? And that means that I'll have another go at Sakura Haruno before anyone else does.

I miss the old Sakura, the one who used to be all smiles and no frowns. She rarely ever had unshed tears in her eyes, unless they were ones of joy. She always combed her hair using a special brush made from the bark of the sakura tree, and her strawberry locks never had one single tangle or knot in it. She was never thin enough to lose weight and lose the ability to wear her red dress, and she always tied the Konoha headband around her head every morning, no matter what. But now...she just wears a simple gray dress and a black hair cloth, like she's faded into the surrounding landscape. Her fingers look so thin and brittle, thin enough to be a wire, brittle enough not to be able to throw shuriken or kunai. Her emerald eyes have lost their shine, and she ignores teases about her forehead more often now. She doesn't even look when Ino hugs Sasuke in the middle of the road for all to see.

Something is very wrong. I just can't put my finger on it. Even with the Sharingan in his possession, I'm not quite sure Uchiha Sasuke can see that Sakura is changing, not just in looks, but also in emotion and feeling and personality. Is the Sharingan really worth that much if the inheritor cannot see the true feelings of other people? I have heard rumors that Sasuke's older brother, Uchiha Itachi, messes with people's minds while looking them in the eye with those red eyes of his. And I have also heard that those eyes of his have never returned to the same onyx black, they have always stayed red.

Sakura has lost her jealous trait, which is a good thing in the long run. But will it really be the same without her jealousy? I don't know. Some people say that Sakura has an "evil" inner side that thinks unspoken thoughts that are bad about people. But if I am ever to learn to love Sakura, then I must see things from the inside out. Like Master Gai says, a person cannot truly be lovely if you do not see them from the heart.

Things have changed, really and truly. Apart from the fact that we are getting older, Sakura seems to have matured much more in one year than any other shinobi or kunoichi in Konoha. She is more somber, more delicate, easy enough to break, yet hard enough to withstand teases. She is more flexible now. I cannot say if that is good or bad, but I still like her just the way she is.


	5. Nothing

Something was pulling the Uchiha away. Something was tugging at his heart that he couldn't forget. Even with Lani at his side, he didn't feel content. He got up from the chair, hoping that there would be at least a mission for him to go on. A solo mission. He couldn't have those two idiots, the ramen lover and the pervert, get in his way on a mission. He was stronger now, not dependent. Who said he needed their help? Well...whoever said that was very wrong. When Uchiha Sasuke was determined to do something, he did it and without hesitation.

He went to Tsunade's office, hoping that she hadn't gotten herself drunk with sake and fallen asleep again. He knocked on the door, three sharp raps. The door opened and he saw Tsunade sitting at her desk, getting paperwork in order. She looked up at him, and he saw that her eyes were worried. He realized that the worry was directed at him, and was immediately worried about this matter himself.

"What is it, Hokage-sama?" he asked in a trembling voice, one that held fear. Definitely not the strong voice he would've used if the worry wasn't directed for him.

"Well...Uchiha-san, it's something about your fellow Genin." Tsunade said with a sigh.

"Huh? I just came here to ask about a mission, not my teammates." Sasuke responded, feeling that his teammates couldn't be more important right now.

"This is urgent, Uchiha. More important than any mission. Your chance at becoming a Chuunin this year could be at stake."

Sasuke was immediately alert. There was nothing more important to him than becoming a Chuunin and becoming more powerful so he could kill his older brother and resurrect his clan with Lani. He had to become a Chuunin, no matter what, and from there go on to become a Jounin. A more powerful person than his brother.

The Hokage folded her hands and pressed her fingers together. She sighed an audible sigh and brushed a few strands of loose hair off her face. Sasuke wished she would get to the point already, it was tiring waiting. Finally she spoke.

"Sasuke...your fellow Genin, Haruno Sakura, is currently hospitalized. She is not sick, and there are no visible wounds."

"Then how is she hospitalized?" Sasuke said, his left eye twitching. There was no such thing as being hospitalized if you weren't deathly sick or were fatally wounded.

"Sasuke...you have heard about escaping your body to go to paradise, right?"

"Yes..."

"That is exactly what Sakura has done, except that now she has gone too far into herself."

"And...you are telling me this because?"

"Because you're the only one who can bring her out of herself, you baka!"

"Your point being?"

"I thought you cared about becoming more powerful to get revenge on your older brother. Well...to become more powerful...you need all three members of your team to attend the Chuunin exams so one of you could hopefully pass. But...I guess you really don't care about that after all."

Sasuke was stung by these words. Of course he cared, didn't people know that by now? Besides, it didn't have to be Sakura on his team. Why couldn't they just replace Lani for Sakura? He was sure Lani could fight just as well, if not better.

"Why couldn't Uchiyama Lani be on Team 7 instead of Sakura?"

"You really are a selfish brat, you know that? You can't have everything you want. Have you ever thought that Sakura needed you? Have you ever thought about the other members of Team 7 and how they need you? Have you ever thought of anyone besides yourself and Lani?"

Sasuke thought about this, and was surprised to learn that he actually hadn't cared about other people except the Uchiyama.

The Hokage waited expectantly, waiting for a good answer. Finally, Sasuke was forced to shake his head no. Tsunade looked disappointed.

"You need to go to the hospital and make things right again."

"Do I have to? I mean...Lani's at home alone and she really shouldn't be."

"Yes you must!"

"What happens if I don't?"

"Then I'll make sure Lani is BANNED from Konoha permanently."

Sasuke gasped. That could be the worst thing in the world other than the Uchiha massacre. He fearfully put up his hands in self-defense, saying, "Ok...I'll go, but it's only for that."

Tsunade smiled.

"What are you smiling at Hokage-sama?"

"Where will you go after you make things right again?"

"Home to Lani."

"Hmm...I'm not so sure you'll make that decision once you set things on the balance again."

Sasuke left...puzzled by these strange words. As he walked the long distance to the Konoha hospital, he pondered those words, and at last finally understood what they meant. They meant that he probably wouldn't want to go back to Lani once he made everything right again. But he knew the Hokage was wrong. Nothing could ever break his love for the Uchiyama. Nothing.


	6. Sasuke: Decide

Sasuke's calves were aching by the time he got to the hospital. Then he remembered something vitally important: Tsunade hadn't given him Sakura's room number. He shrugged it off, figuring that somebody, probably the receptionist, in the hospital would know the whereabouts of the pink-haired kunoichi. He walked right into the building, the automatic doors sliding shut behind him. Even though it was late and dark, the Konoha hospital lights still shone brightly, a beacon of hope. Thankfully, the Konoha hospital didn't have visiting hours either, or it would be WAY too late for Sasuke to try and visit Sakura. He walked up to the front desk without a sound, nearly giving the blonde receptionist a heart attack. Trying to recover her demeanor, she asked in a shaky voice, "Can I help you with anything today?"

"What is the room number of Haruno Sakura?" he asked in an icy tone that would have drenched even the hottest fire.

"She is in Emergency Room 7. I believe Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto are in there already."

Sasuke scowled. He didn't want to have to meet up with the pervert and the dobe again.

He climbed the stairs to Emergency Room 7, which was on the third floor. He opened the door silently, then shut it just as quickly and quietly. Everything was dark inside the room. Everything was silent also, except for the beeping of a heart monitor beside the bed. As his eyes got used to the forbidding darkness, he could just make out a small heap on the bed and two other figures in chairs, one on each side of the heap. His footfalls gave away his presence, for the other two turned his way and looked at him directly. Something about their stares made Sasuke uneasy. He walked over to the bedside, and stood next to his sensei. Now his main focus was on the small heap in the bed. It was Sakura.

Her pink hair was splayed on the pillow and reached just past her shoulders. Her breathing was shallow and light. What Tsunade had said was true. Sakura had no visible wounds on her. As far as Sasuke could see, there was nothing wrong with her, and for the first time, he finally noticed how much she had changed. She was thinner than usual and also paler. Her hands were longer, slimmer, the fingers as thin as sticks. Her shoulders were bony, and her cheeks had hollows in them. That was when they all felt it...another presence in the room. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke simultaneously stared off into the gloom, into the eerie silence. They saw a small figure walking towards them, wait...it wasn't walking, it was gliding. As it got closer, they could see it was Sakura. But...Sakura was in the bed, how could that be? Sasuke had heard stories about spirits that came out of paradise for a short amount of time to talk to people. Could that be what Sakura's spirit was doing?

She got closer, close enough to touch. Her hand reached out to the three of them, and each of them thought the same thing: Should I take it? Should I help her? Her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth tightened, as though begging each of them to take her hand and pull her out. Sasuke, being the brave one, reached out for her hand, but just as the tips of their fingers connected, she was pulled away. She closed her eyes and smiled, still holding her hand out. At that point Sasuke got up and ran to her spirit, but it just kept gliding away. Finally he grabbed...or thought he grabbed her hand, but he didn't feel anything. He looked up at her disappearing form, willing her to come back. Her eyes opened wide, and out of the gloom came another figure, a larger one. Sasuke looked hard, then pulled away. This was unbelievable. First Sakura's spirit, now Lani's? What was happening? Was this all a hallucination? Even as the three watched, paralyzed with horrible fascination, Sakura's spirit was dragged away by the other one. Her hand was still held out to them, her eyes filled with terror. Then her mouth opened in a silent scream, and she was gone.

As soon as the three could move again, Kakashi and Naruto turned back to Sasuke, their eyes watching him expectantly. Sasuke felt beads of cold sweat form on his forehead. If Sakura was so important to them, why didn't they bring her back themselves? Kakashi shook his head silently, telling him that he was the only one who could do it. Sasuke's eyes asked why HE had to do it, why couldn't Naruto?

"Because Sakura cares about you more than anybody else."

Sasuke gasped. He had remembered his promise, about being able to love her forever. He had broken it. The only thing he could do was to make it up to her. But how?

"You have to go to the Soul World, Sasuke."

Sasuke gasped in terror. The Soul World, otherwise known as timezone, was where his big brother Itachi and all his friends went on Saturday nights. They had told Sasuke vivid descriptions of the place, how there were Jounin and Chuunin on the other side on the dividing wall, and could not be pulled out again, how he had to use just the right amount of chakra to keep control of his soul. And for the first time in his life, Sasuke was scared of going to timezone.

"You have to."

This time Naruto broke the silence. Sasuke turned his obsidian black eyes on him.

"I know I have to, dobe."

"Then do it now teme, while you still can."

The Jounin and the other Genin sat back expectantly, waiting for him to make his move. Finally, he sighed and made the necessary handseals to go to that special place where you could escape yourself. He let out a smooth trickle of chakra and felt his soul being projected away. He got a tingling sensation, like he was flying. His feet landed on hard ground again, and he looked around him. There were other people in timezone now too, wandering aimlessly, heading nowhere. But none of these people were Sakura. Soon, after about 15 minutes of hard looking, he began to feel carefree and giddy. His head felt light, and he forgot what he was looking for and why he was here. All he knew was that he wanted to stay here forever. Then he saw it: behind the dividing wall separating Paradise from Eternal Torture, was a girl. A pink haired girl that was smiling sweetly at him and pressing her hand against the wall, asking for out. Something told him he knew this girl, told him that he needed to help her. But he didn't move, just looked at her intently, trying to figure out who she was, why she was here. Then he realized that she wasn't the only one behind the dividing wall, and for the first time, he felt scared and undecided. What should he do?


	7. The Autumn Cherry

Naruto and Kakashi waited expectantly for Sasuke and Sakura to come back. The slow beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room, save their light breathing. After a minimum of 10 minutes, they both began to get worried. Could it really take this long to drag somebody out of their own mental paradise, especially if you were stronger? Or...could Sasuke have given in to the temptation of Paradise and decided to stay there forever? Sweat started to form on Sakura's pale face. Naruto began to get extremely worried. Even though he had Hyuuga Hinata by his side, he still cared about Sakura. Kakashi, usually so cool and collected, started to panic. If Sasuke didn't bring them both back soon, Sakura would die because she had no control over her body any longer.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was still standing stupefied in the middle of TimeZone. He was, as far as physics were concerned, oblivious to the cries of "Pull me out!" ringing around him. He only heard a sound like tinkling bells. His attention was diverted between the pink-haired girl on the other side of the dividing barrier and a sakura tree. The gentle winds were slowly blowing pink petals off the tree and onto the ground. One blossom floated over to the other side of the barrier, and the pink-haired girl picked it up and looked at it for a moment before inserting it into her strawberry hair. Then she turned around and faced him again, a bright smile on her face. Her hand was still held out to him, asking him gently to pull her out, so she could be free again.

Something was nagging at the back of Sasuke's mind. For some reason, though this girl seemed so familiar, she seemed foreign also. What was her name? He couldn't remember anything anymore. She was wearing a red dress with black shorts underneath, and a shuriken holster was strapped to the right leg. Her Konoha headband was worn over her head, as though she was ready to do some cleaning. He kept staring at her, dumbstruck. Then a crystal tear fell from her eye as the sad realization that her only love didn't recognize her anymore struck. Sasuke's Sharingan activated immediately. He saw directly through the tear, an image that was magnified by the crystal drop of water. He saw a pale, thin girl instead of the slender one the tear didn't show. Her strawberry hair was stringy, and she used a black cloth to hold it back. There were hollows in her cheeks. She was wearing a black dress with white shorts underneath, instead of a red dress with black shorts underneath. There was no shuriken holster on her right leg. And he remembered who she was.

_**Beep.**_

The monotonous sound would stop soon, Kakashi and Naruto both knew. But that was unless Sasuke didn't have the strength or the courage to bring her back.

_**Beep.**_

Memories flashed through both their minds, both different flashes of their individual times with Sakura. Naruto remembered that time when they were in the Forest of Chakra and Sakura was the only one who had near perfect chakra control. Kakashi remembered the time when she had been so happy and social and always joining in with Naruto to yell at him for being late. Those were the good times.

_**Beep.**_

Not even Icha Icha Paradise could calm the Hatake down more. He was panicstricken. One of his students could die at any second and his prodigy could be stuck in TimeZone forever. He shook his head. He was a bad sensei, a bad master. He should've payed attention more to the other two than put all his focus into the Uchiha prodigy. He mentally slapped himself and promised that he would avenge Sakura if Sasuke didn't bring her back or didn't come back himself.

_**Beep.**_

Ramen was far from his mind right now. All that his mind was focused on was his friends, stuck in TimeZone, perhaps forever. Sasuke might come back, but that didn't mean he would come back with Sakura. What if the teme suffered a mental breakdown in there and NEVER came back? Then he wouldn't have a rival anymore, nobody to call him names and force him to become stronger. There would not be a Love Triangle without Sasuke or Sakura. All three of them were in the Triangle, and if one of them was missing, the triangle would break and there would just be a line.

_**Beep.**_

_**Beep.**_

The tension mounted in the small room until the two felt as though they couldn't breathe. Where were Sasuke and Sakura, or more importantly, where WEREN'T they?

"Sakura..." was the only word that escaped from Sasuke's mouth as he gazed at the girl, so thin, so pale, so lonely. In real life, he had never noticed how much she had changed. Everyone was indifferent to him in real life, except that girl...what was her name? Well...that didn't really matter right now since that girl wasn't here. Sakura's spirit turned her back on Sasuke and just stood there, looking farther into the wrong side of Paradise. She was surrounded by flames, and if she didn't escape soon, she would surely burn to death. The flames started to burn her black dress away, but she didn't panic. Soon there was a circle of flames all around her. Smoke billowed up around her, so much that she started to cough. Sasuke was...scared. He didn't know what to do. Then three words came out of her mouth.

"Sasuke-kun, help me..."

They blew away on the wind, but he heard them anyway. He reached out through the barrier without hesitation, and immediately he felt a tingling sensation, as though he had pins and needles in his hand. He reached out farther, ignoring the feeling that threatened to steal his whole body away. Finally, his hand made contact with Sakura's shoulder. He started to pull her back, but found his body trying to go to her, instead of trying to make her come to him. The tingling was getting stronger, but Sasuke forced his body to stay on the right side. Sakura's body slumped, and he knew she had fainted from the bad oxygen around her. He made one strong heave, and pulled her out safely, on the right side. Her black dress was still smoking, but not on fire. The sakura flower had fallen out of her hair and was swiftly burning in the red fire. Another blossom swayed on the nearby tree, and fell. It floated aimlessly, then finally landed in Sasuke's open hand. He placed the flower behind Sakura's right ear, and smiled. Now they could go back.


	8. Myspace

Srry I've just watched The Grudge so it might be a little like the Grudge Ill try not to make it that way.

Sasuke made the necessary hand seals to go back, and he felt his and Sakura's body floating upward. Other people were leaving too, deciding that they had had enough of TimeZone for a while. They drifted aimlessly about. One of Sasuke's arms was still wrapped around Sakura, and for the first time, he realized how much this girl meant to him. Lani didn't mean anything to him anymore. His mind was clearly on Sakura and only Sakura. Then they broke through their own minds and were safely returned to their bodies.

Sasuke immediately sat up upon hitting the cold tile floor. Kakashi and Naruto looked at him, then looked at Sakura, then him again. They finally realized that he HAD brought her back safely, and they smiled in unison. Sasuke smiled back, a shaky smile though. It had used a massive outpouring of chakra to go there and back.

Sakura's emerald eyes opened, and all three of them could see the shine was back in them. They also noticed that there was a sakura blossom in her hair, a place where it hadn't been before. They also noticed another major change in her. She was slender again, and not skinny. Her hair was smooth and silky, with a shine. She was wearing her red dress again, and the shuriken holster could now fit on her right leg without slipping off. Everything was normal again, and everyone was happy. Everyone that is...except Lani Uchiyama.

A week later, Lani saw Sasuke and Sakura walking together, holding hands. She got really annoyed and rushed outside. She hid behind a bush and tracked them until they reached a bench in the middle of Konoha Park. Then they did something umimaginable: they kissed. Lani gasped from behind a tree and Sasuke nearly heard her. She regained her composure quickly, and continued watching in terror. I thought Sasuke was MY boyfriend, when did this girl get him? she wondered silently.

Sasuke said, "I know you're there Lani. Just come out from hiding already."

Lani stepped out from behind her tree and glared at Sasuke. "I thought you were my boyfriend."

"I was."

"Was!"

"Yes, was."

"How come you're with her?"

"Because I made a promise. An Uchiha has to keep a promise until they die."

"Well...Uchiha Itachi didn't keep a lot of promises."

"Itachi is condemned to hell that's why. Now can you please get out of my life forever?"

Lani was shocked. Sasuke had never been so mean to her before. Tears started to fall from her black eyes, which were slowly changing to blue, the color of misery. She ran away yelling, "I hate you Sasuke! HATE YOU!"

As she ran, her Konoha headband fell off and she didn't bother to pick it up again. Sasuke found it a few feet away, picked it up, and threw it in the river. Then he went back to Sakura.

"I'm...sorry...for breaking that promise, Sakura. You have the right to kill me."

Sakura smiled a bright smile.

"I don't have the right to kill you. You saved me."

"I know...but I had to."

"No...you didn't have to, you did it of your own free will...and for that, I love you Sasuke."

"I love you too, Sakura."

Then they kissed again, deeper and deeper.

"OMG I GOT IT ON VIDEO!"

"Really, Kakashi-sensei, let me see it!"

The Jounin and the Genin sat back on Kakashi's couch, ready to watch the video Kakashi had taken of Sasuke and Sakura in the park together. At the end, they were both near tears of laughter. Sasuke...saying that a GIRL had the right to kill him? Man...life was going to be fun after all.

"OMG LETS PUT IT ON MYSPACE AND SHOW IT TO EVERYONE!"

"YEA LETS DO THAT!"

The Jounin and the Genin rushed off upstairs to the computer to put their video on the Internet and humiliate Sasuke and Sakura.

A/N: That was random and NO the story is NOT OVER YET! There is still an epilogue and besides Ill write a sequel. I don't know where I got that video thing and myspace...but ok...


	9. Only Time will Tell

Sasuke and Sakura's life had been going really well from that point on. There were no more squabbles about her being annoying. And besides, Sasuke didn't need a fan club composed of girls anymore. Sakura had taken care of that problem for him, by being a devoted girlfriend and banishing all the other fangirls' hopes. Sasuke was grateful for that. He couldn't have lived if multitudes of fangirls kept jumping on him every day.

Sakura was happy with life. She had everything she needed: Sasuke by her side. Somehow, she knew that he was never going to leave her again, never kill anybody again, never want to have revenge again. Of course, the Sharingan activated in certain situations, but that was only if it was very dangerous and he wanted to protect her so that she wouldn't get hurt. Most of the time Sasuke got hurt, but since she had become an expert at healing, she could heal all his wounds.

And as for the rest of Team 7, their lives were going on very well also.

Naruto had Hinata to protect and love, but that didn't always turn out to be such a good thing. Sometimes Neji pounded him when he felt angry at someone or something and needed to vent his frustration on something. But Hinata always came to stop the fight. Not like it was really a fight. Neji had gotten over Naruto and Hinata a long time ago, especially since he had Tenten. Lee was still stealing looks at Sakura, but she didn't mind. All that really mattered to Naruto was Hinata and his beloved ramen.

Kakashi had everything he wanted. He had won a contest of copying jutsus, and had gotten a magnificent prize: well, for him at least. He had gotten all the volumes of Icha Icha Paradise, even though he already had all of them, and all the volumes of Icha Icha Violence. What's more, he got all of them autographed by the author and they were all Special Edition. He also got a free ticket to go and see the author of the graphic novels, Jiraiya the legendary Sannin. So all in all, he was very pleased about his life.

Sasuke knew that many years had passed since his first kiss with Sakura. They were now 21, Kakashi being the exception. The perverted sensei was not showing any signs of aging, even though he was already 35. And soon, Sasuke and Sakura planned to be married. It would be the best. All they had to do was wait until the time was right. They would invite all the people in Konoha because this was probably the most important marriage ever to hit the Leaf Village. There was only one sane Uchiha left, and that was Sasuke. If he married a sane wife, then peace would be restored between the Uchiha brothers, mainly because they had already had a truce, and because Sasuke had to be single to actually really fight Itachi. If he had a wife, there would be no such thing as fighting his brother because Sasuke had lost pretty much everything in his life, and his wife would bring it all back again, and there was no way the Uchiha would lose her too. That would probably mean that he didn't care about his wife and his mind had reverted back to revenge and killing.

Sasuke didn't plan to do that. He planned to live the rest of his life normally, without any thoughts of his brother. Of course, he would have to go on missions sometimes, but they probably wouldn't be major. Just minor, and he probably wouldn't sustain enough wounds to get himself killed. Life was going to be good from now on. Besides, he would always have Sakura as a sparring partner, and she would probably go on the same missions with him. But who knows? Not the Sharingan, or even the Byakugan, could foresee what was going to happen. Only time would tell.

Sasuke made his way to the master bedroom in the Uchiha complex. The master bedroom was large, though not as large as the Hyuugas' master bedroom. But it was enough for Sasuke and his wife-to-be. He opened the door quietly, and shut it just as quietly. He smiled as he surveyed the once bland room. Now that Sakura had moved in, there was Chinese stuff all over the bedroom. Not that it mattered. It made the bedroom look more homey, as though no death had ever passed through it. Chinese fans hung from the ceiling, suspended by red tassels. A small sakura tree grew outside the window. Its pink petals were drifting off in the wind, and coated the backyard of the Uchiha complex. Sakura had started growing that tree a year ago, and it showed signs of good care. Its bark was silky smooth and the petals were as pink, if not pinker, than Sakura's hair. She was the only one who could take care of the plant. She wouldn't let the gardeners touch it, Sasuke and she were the only ones who could touch it. She took very good care of it, making sure it got enough water, making sure there were no weeds to choke it. She practically defended the small tree with her life.

Right now, she was sitting with her back towards Sasuke, combing her hair in the mirror she had brought from home. She never called it a mirror however, she called it a looking glass. Her pink hair looked so silky in the afternoon sun, that Sasuke was tempted to go and touch it. He walked up silently behind her, and gazed at her hair a few minutes before stroking it gently. She looked in the mirror, shocked, and saw Sasuke behind her. She smiled and lifted her head up for a kiss from her beloved. He obliged, feeling her soft lips under his. As they broke for air, she smiled at him and said, "See, love...I was on the wrong side of the looking glass and you pulled me out. That's how I can see you in the looking glass..." Then they kissed again.

A/N: NO NO NO THIS IS NOT NOT THE END! I WILL WRITE A SEQUEL FOR THIS I DONT KNO WHAT THE TITLE WILL BE YET. JUST WAIT AND SEE!


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